I hate making predications with games left, I just want to make it to 40 wins, then 45, then 50 wins and hopefully 55 wins. Take each game as it comes as anyone can beat anyone in this league and if you think too far ahead, it could mean we get more defeats then we should. Yao may also effect some games when he comes back as he has to get back in game shape and game form. It may disrupt the team but only for a few games but this is the biggest factor in our remaining games at the moment.
There is no way that we lose to the Detroit Pistons. They suck, i can't wait until we destroy them in houston. I was at last years game when we lost 99-97 in detroit. Luther Head missed the game winning shot. Since then I've been waiting to beat them.
At first I thought 5 wins was very wishful thinking, but looking at the schedule it doesn't seem that far off. I know that every team can be tough, but this is the first team we've had in a long time that wins the games they should win. Our record vs bad teams and the eastern conference is impressive. I don't think we'll win them all, but we will get most. Then with Yao back we should win those games vs lakers, jazz and spurs at the very least. If we blew the spurs out without Mac then again without Yao, I will be pissed if we lose the next time.
Toronto will be much more difficult than say the Lakers who barely beat us without T-Mac and got crushed when he played. You never know how these games will turnout, especially when you're looking that far ahead.
even with... denver once, utah twice, SA once, lakers once, cavs once, new orleans once detroit once and one other loss... at worst 20-9 finish. but i could see us going like 25-4. that would be SICK
we'll have a good record. the thing i worry about is if yao has enough time to get back his groove and adjust to the team. that's all i care about. i hope we have enough games to do that. if that happens, i don't care if we're the 8th seed (which i doubt, we'll have at least a 5th seed). but that's all i worry about. these games when yao returns should be more about getting him back into a groove a develop a dominant chemistry b/t tmac and yao.
The only two losses that are locks are the Phoenix games assuming Nash is healthy. Otherwise, the rest of the teams we have owned this season, or are struggling (Lakers).
I hope everyone has knocked on wood throughout this thread! I like the optimisim, but let's hope we're not jinxing anything!
I try to keep away from best case scenarios since they rarely end up happening. Looking at our losses this year, we have: November: @Utah, when Utah was hot @NOK, when NOK was hot Spurs at home @DET @Pho December @MIN* Lakers at home* @GSW* @LAL* @POR* Clippers at home* (Yao fracture game) @IND, McGrady's first game back January @MIN @DAL Suns at home Nuggets at home February Hornets at home @DAL Mavericks at home *McGrady was out We're 20-7 at home with 14 home games remaining (-->10 projected wins) We're 14-12 on the road with 15 road games remaining (-->8 projected wins) That would suggest a 52 win finish. It helps a ton that we're done playing Dallas. We've got 2 more against Phoenix, 1 more against the Spurs, and 1 against Detroit (who've given us more trouble than we might like to admit in past years). Yao is a complete X factor - his return may make us a wrecking crew, or his return may upset the groove we've gotten into in his absence. I believe if we bring him in extremely gradually (from 10 minutes off the bench to his starting position over the course of 2-3 weeks) we'll be hard to beat. Return him as a starter and main option too quickly and everyone will have to adjust to new roles and a new offense too abruptly. I'm willing to believe we'll go 20-9 and finish with 54 wins. Evan
We only play once vs Lakers and spurs (we're up 2-1 on the spurs and down 1-2 to the Lakers...only play them 4 times a year)
Well if ROX win the rest of those 19 games and lose the 10 games verses the above agerage teams, that would be 19-10. Predicting Rox win at least half those 10 games puts them at 24-5. So the Rox should have Final regular season record around 58-24.
